Did Elvis Change over the years?

[MissyM]

What do you think. Besides his progression into addiction, what changes did you see.

As a young adult, I think he was full of hope, and more innocent.
Later I think he saw how corrupt fame and wealth made people and probably was sorely disappointed.
Then I do feel in the last part of his life as hard as he tried to hang on to that hopefulness of his younger days, he had seen so much, and became disappointed in people and the illusions of happiness through his art. (not completely though)

[ehollier]

Certainly the death of his mother changed him in a way that left him more vulnerable and insecure than he had ever been, which, I feel was the catalyst for many of his actions that were to come in the 60's - both professionally (the miserable movie years and his rut that he found himself in by the mid-60's) and personally (certainly the escalation in the drug addiction, the lifestyle that he chose to live which was not what his mother would have approved of, the friends that he chose to surround himself with). Without Gladys around to guide him and reassure him, he made some choices that he, no doubt, wouldn't have made had she been alive.

With all that has been written about Elvis in the many, many books that we have to tell his story, one of the constant descriptions of him and his personal nature was that he was always very kind and considerate of his elders, very well mannered with work associates, and extremely generous to those less fortunate. Even though much has been written about his terrible temper, he was said to have remained a very kind and thoughtful person, even somewhat shy, throughout his life.

What suprises me the most, however, was that for all of the years that he remained in Hollywood, he was never swept up in the whole social scene of other stars and such - be it for his lack of self-esteem or simply just not caring to be involved, but in this aspect, he appeared to have remained very private and reserved.

[Vegas King]

Yes,of corse he Did.Everybody's change over the years.

[Dino78]

Agree with you. He changed through the years for sure. As you said the death of his mother, Priscilla, Lisa Marie, the divorce, the end of the Hollywood-period, ...
Everything is changing your habit, attitute, whatever everytime. Sometimes it is changing your behaviour but mostly it's "only" a mentally change.

[EnigmaticSun]

Good post, ehollier, and very respectful. I agree Elvis wasn't very interested in the superficial jet set/celebrity way of life, no matter how much they had wanted to involve him.

[MissyM]

Great Post E-H. I love that he never went all Hollywood. One thing to remember about Elvis's temper, it was a problem he fought. Some people were just born with a shorter fuse. Many in that family were. But Elvis was always sorry when he lost it and caused other hurt. People accepted that was just Elvis's way. But I don't think he did. He was a person who with all his challenges, was constantly trying to evolve as a better human being. (the addiction was just something he could not conquer)
I don't think people know that in his later years he was more patient and his temper wasn't something he lost that much.

[Diane]

Thank you for that information Missy. I'm sure Elvis felt guilty when he lost his temper as most people do.

He did change a lot over the years as everyone does....it's unavoidable.

Diane

[epmoodyblue]

yep elvis changed over the years .we all change as the years go by..but in elvis case.....besides all the medical and other probs elvis had..he changed alot because he simply got bored with everything...the 68 comeback and aloha were the highlightsd of his career.after aloha.. divorce..elvis let go.BOREDOM SET IN.the rest we know:king:

[KPM]

Anytime anyone does anything for the 1st time-its exciting, the thrill of experiencing a new task or leisure activity. Most people always have something new to experience over the course of a lifetime. Most can't afford to do it all quickly.
I think in the case of Elvis the things he always thought he would do if he was rich- he did a 100 times over. When you do all you've ever wanted to-the thrill and excitement is gone so I think that would change most people. I think thats why he liked giving so much-to experience the thrill of getting a huge gift- by being the one doing the giving. He could have a 1000 diamond rings-yet the ones he may have given to others-might have been the only one they would ever get-and the thrill of giving it was exciting and pleasurable to him.
But I think like most of us over time he did change some.

[SleepyJack]

Yes,I think that,like all of us,Elvis changed over the years. When I read about Elvis getting bored with everything....I try to imagine what his version of "bored" must have been like...and I can`t. Most of us get bored with some or all things from time to time...but we can usually cheer ourselves up with something that we are looking forward to doing or getting..some little thing,no matter how big or small....I think Elvis lost a lot of the ability to dream and wish later in his life.....and probably dwelt a little too long on his disappointments.....just a thought.

[ehollier]

In response to your post Ken, Jerry Schilling has said time and time again in many publications and interviews that Elvis had every temptation in the world offered to him, but 99% of the time, he choose to just be a nice guy.

[KPM]

In response to you post Ken, Jerry Schilling has said time and time again in many publications and interviews that Elvis had every temptation in the world offered to him, but 99% of the time, he choose to just be a nice guy.
I'm sure Elvis took great pleasure in being able to be the nice guy as often as he could. I think most of us, really want to be "the nice guy or gal"
as often as we can. As I said he loved to give and see that reaction-remembering the times someone showed a kindness to him before he hit big-and recalling the feelin that expression of kindness meant to him back then.

[EnigmaticSun]

One thing to remember about Elvis's temper, it was a problem he fought.

It wasn't necessarily rage or mean spirit. I'd describe it as temperament and I was born with it too. :)

[Ronn]

I think Elvis changed because he got bored with everything. If you can have anything you want -- where's the excitement there? Isn't what makes life exciting? when you have something to aspire for, something new to do. There was no challenge for him.
I read somewhere that he described himself as self-destructive which I believe was true plus the fact that he is his own boss. No one to control him. I think in our lives we need to have some control or someone who can control our misfits. Like maybe a husband to stop us when we have bought so many bags in one day (something like that :-) )

[The Welz]

To me there are four Elvis Presleys. The first one is the person he was as a kid before he got famous. Then he started to perform and perfected his look and on-stage persona. By 1958 he tamed somewhat, the sideburns were gone and his hair got shorter. One could say he got more conservative. This lead to the third Elvis, that we got to see after he left the service. The hair was short, he dressed in suits and became the all american boy. By 1968 he began to change again. His sideburns grew (and he started to look like a mature version of the 1956-Elvis) and so did the hair. Than he became the "las vegas elvis" with long sideburns, lots of rings, chains and his famous glasses.

The 1950s Elvis, the 1960s Elvis and the 1970s Elvis look and sound completely different and almost appear to be completely different persons. The image changed drastically, but the people did not seem to notice how much he changed. He was a mirror of his times and he reflected the behaviour and the look of the decades to the extreme.

So he did change, but we all do. If I look at pictures of me from the early 1990s I cannot believe its me. The hair, the glasses, the way to dress are completely different from what I look now. So it isn't just a thing that happend to Elvis. It happens to all of us. If you have the same look at 40 than you had with 20 you have not developed. And that's what one does. One gets older, thinks different and looks different.

[shelley.m.]

Thank you for that information Missy. I'm sure Elvis felt guilty when he lost his temper as most people do.

He did change a lot over the years as everyone does....it's unavoidable.

Diane

Well put,Diane.I too have a very nasty temper and have a hardtime trying to keep it under control.I never had a bad temper,when I was younger.

[MojoElvis]

I see changes from 54-57. It looked more like he was having fun before he did Loving You.
I know his theory was that he didn't want to smile on the big screen but I personally think that every since he received that letter from the draft board. He seems to be more sulking after that and then the ultimate change came after his mother died. It seems like when she died, so did his Control over the Colonel. Maybe she would advise him on his career direction. In that early 1960s audio interview he says, a mother is someone you could wake up at any hour of the night and talk to her.
then the frustration of doing all them movies he didn't like back to back. The Colonel really had no faith in Elvis being creative and progressing in his talent.
he just wanted Elvis to show up and shut up and work.
He appears happier in 1968 perhaps due to his new baby girl and the planning of his TV Special. Looks like it lasted till Feb 1970, sorry but to me in some of them TTWII clips he looks like he's already tired of Vegas. He seemed excited again with touring the USA but by late 1972 Elvis appears in my opinion tired of it but some 88mil films of a handful of shows prove me wrong here.
Aloha to me he seemed liked he was holding back his performance as if someone like the Colonel told him not to be too suggestive with his sexual moves. Photos of Elvis and Linda during 73-75 he looks happy and contempt almost like a happily married man. That's how I see it..lol
but 75-76 he Looks tired and the same thing that happened with the movies happened with the tours and Vegas. The tours became the new Movies era frustration, only this time his drug usage is taking its toll.
After firing Red, Sonny and David Hebler, then the leaving of Linda, I believe Elvis now is left with only two men that could protect him. Billy Smith and Lamar Fike. I'm sorry but he was just using the Stanley brothers to go get the street drugs he needed. That's that conclusion I came to with them after reading all theses books. 1977 to me looks like Elvis is totally erratic perhaps due to the newly published book, ELVIS, WHAT HAPPENED?.
I also believe he might had some kind of surgery done for the preparation of the CBS Special. He just looks completely different to me. Look at the Feb 77 tour photos and the ones from when he got out of the hospital. His skin seems tighter like it was pulled back.


Listen to Elvis' voice when he starts talking about his mother In this 1062 interview.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1XFOn3MCxlU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1XFOn3MCxlU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[hounddog]

one quote that i always very accurate about Elvis was by Millie Kirkham, she said she watched Elvis grow form a boy into a man, but that he was always thouthtful, kind and genorous not only materially but of himself.

Of course he changed over the years we all do, Life does that.

[Graceland Rain]

everybody changes but, i think he was lonely for real friends and wanted more out of life than he was getting. he had a circle full of people that used him i think.
i think apart of him was lonely and sad. i also think he was a deep thinker and loved music. and he was held back from doing what he wanted to do.
but he loved to be on stage and he loved the fans he cared about them deeply.